ENCINITAS  A proposal to divide 36 acres of the Paul Ecke Poinsettia Ranch into three separate lots won’t go before the Encinitas Planning Commission until at least July.

Ecke Ranch wants to divide 36 acres of the 68-acre ranch to increase borrowing opportunities with banks and leasing opportunities with other businesses.

The request from the ranch to the city was considered so routine that it was originally scheduled to be handled administratively. However, about 20 people attended a hearing on the issue in February and expressed concerns about it paving the way for future residential development. No development is proposed.

The planning department then referred the issue to the full Planning Commission in April. However, Monica Browning, an attorney representing the ranch, sent a letter to the city March 20 asking for it to be delayed to the first Planning Commission meeting after July 1. Browning’s letter did not give a reason for the request, which the city accepted.